Worth the drive from Raleigh for the butter beans and collards alone. Best d**n butter beans ever. Bum's is a visit back to an earlier day when meats n threes ruled eastern Carolina. Regulars are addressed by name and people genuinely want to know how your day is. It's a meat n twos now but plates include all the usual suspects plus a daily special. Two sides and corn sticks, cornbread, or rolls are included. Prices are very reasonable. There's both street parking and a small lot, in addition to a drive-thru window. Not fancy, but seriously good. You won't go wrong with any of the sides. read more

Bum's Restaurant - Fried pork chop (Monday special), cornbread, butter beans, and yams - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

Its 12/26 We are going from Little Washington to Wilson for Jim Hunts funeral and figured we would get some breakfast and saw online about the legendary Bums wood smoked bbq in Ayden and that they served breakfast early. We pull up and to our dismay they were closed yet my wife sees a man walking up to the door and says we came all the way from Maryland to have breakfast and buy some Q to go. The man was the legacy owner Larry Dennis, we're we sent away NO! Yet this Christian gentleman invited us in for coffee and cheese biscuits and gave us a pint bottle of his E.NC Q splash and of course refusing any money. What is mostly lost in America today is found here with Larry in this little crossroad town at Bums. People like Mr. Dennis restores ones faith that there is still decency and civility left in our country and that America is gonna be alright. read more

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Bum's Barbecue, and let me tell you, it was an experience worth every moment. This is stop #16 on the NC Historic BBQ trail for us, so only 2 more to go. My plate was a barbecue lover's dream. The vinegary barbecue sauce was one of the best we've ever tried. The combination of cabbage and collard greens added a nice touch, providing a delightful balance to the rich, smoky meat. My wife enjoyed the bbq as well, but had more disappointing sides (the sweet corn and sweet potatoes are average at best). People that worked there were all super nice and working hard. My big takeaway is the bbq is one of the best in the state. The sides are really nothing to write home about. The banana pudding was mostly pudding. Enjoyable, but wish it had more wafers in it. The meal is still an easy 5 stars though. read more

Bum's Restaurant - Barbecue plates - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

Food and Service is always Excellent! I drive all the way from Washington to get their food. It is always worth it and the Collards are the Best Ever! read more

They are huge slices of French toast! And taste amazing! I love Yoders but honestly these guys are comparable and we didn't have a wait on a Saturday morning! Very helpful and polite staff. Overall clean establishment. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEIR BREAKFAST read more

Bum's Restaurant - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

See all

Oh My Goodness. Since I travel for work, I love to find local eateries and "mom n pop" stores to shop at. This place surely fit that bill. I had the pleasure of leisurely Saturday morning breakfast here. From the moment I walked in the door, I knew I was at the right place. Several waitresses were bustling around. One of them says, "Welcome to Bums. Come on in and sit where you'd like. Ya want some coffee? I no more than took my seat at the quint little counter and had a piping hot cup of coffee and a menu in front of me. I knew what I wanted right away, but sat patiently, as did the waitress (pen and order pad in hand) for an older lady to finish her conversation about so and so and how they weren't doing well, etc. I was in no hurry and she seemed insistent on finishing her story, which she did and headed out the door. The waitress took my order, handed it to the cook behind her and brought me all the fixins that I might need for my breakfast. Most times this is where I'd grab my phone and double check on emails, msg's, Facebook post etc., but this morning, I just left it on the bar and took in the surroundings. It was an older building but very clean. The grill was in the wide open behind the counter and the young cook was in full swing with one griddle full of bacon, sausage and eggs and another full of pancakes and French toast. Behind me, I could here laughter and conversations of the days planned events and who was going where and doing what. Kids ran about from table to table and seemed to know most of the people there. My breakfast came and it more than filled the plate. Had me wishing I hadn't ordered that extra piece of sausage, because I didn't know the one patty that it came with would be so big. The eggs were done just right and it was easy to see that the home fries were freshly cut from real potatoes and not out of some frozen bag. Suffice to say it was all I could do to finish my plate as my coffee cup never ran lower than half full. Price wise, I've certainly paid more for less so definitely no complaints there. If you live around there, lucky for you, but if you happen to be passing through, don't pass on this gem when it comes up on your search. I hear they serve some great BBQ also and being a bit biased as a local Kansas Citian (also know for some great BBQ) I will have to swing back in there and try some to see for myself. read more

Good barbecue with a large selection of sides, served cafeteria style. Pork was very juicy and slightly smoky. More pulled than chopped and sitting in a hotel pan on the steam table. My preference is the drier presentation, where the barbecue is waiting for customers on the chopping block. Place was filled with locals. Owner was very friendly and said hello to each guest. read more

See all

Stopped in here during the Ayden collard festival to top off a hearty appetite. I saw the fresh ribs being restocked on the line and my mouth started to water. I sat down with my $10 plate of ribs and bit into acold slab of meat. They looked and tasted pretty good but would have been much better if they were at least luke warm. Needless to say I will not be back since attention to detail was not important to the food servers. I was never asked how my meal was which raised another "Red Flag" for not achieving customer satisfaction. read more

Bum's Restaurant - $10 plate of ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

Extremely poor experience. Food was ice cold. Pastry wasn't cooked through. Collards were stringy and not cooked done. Employees were rude & unhelpful. It was way to loud. Will never go there again!!! read more

Bum's doesn't get nearly the recognition this fine old place deserves for the quality of its Eastern style Pork Barbecue, or it's outstanding Country Cooking items, and especially the Cabbage Collards. I've been coming to Bum's since the mid 60's, as much for the country cooking as the wood-cooked, chopped barbecue. I've never left disappointed or less than completely full. We were coming back home from a short visit to New Bern, and we were going for a "twofer" - a sandwich and bulk BBQ buy from Skylight Inn, and then on to a full blown, proper sit down stuffing at Bum's, with the emphasis on the country cooking, but throw in some pig, as well. The plan worked perfectly, Skylight had just opened, and we were in and out like cattle thieves, all that we wanted there, we acquired there. Hit Bum's abot 10:45, and lunch was available, the steamtable slots were filling up - I love it when a plan comes together! Alice went with Chicken & Pastry, Cabbage Collards, and some kind of strang orange tubar, Sweet Potatoes I think. I opted for my Bum's Usual - Combo of Fried Chicken, Chopped Pork BBQ with Slaw and Brunswick Stew, and we would, of course, be finishing with the world's second best Banana Pudding - my grandmother's knew no peers! As usual, the food was excellent - well, except for the sweet potatoes, tasted like somebody should have made a pie out of them. The Pork BBQ served here is much less renown than that at its neighbor, the afore mentioned Skylight Inn, but this is world class Eastern NC style PIG! The Chicken & Pastry, the Fried Chicken, the Brunswick Stew, and the Collards were as good as ever. Don't even ask about the 'Nanner' Pudding. We took home 2 pounds of BBQ, a quart of Collards, a quart of Chicken & Pastry, and a pint of Brunswick Stew - winter's coming, gotta fill the larder - well, we don't actually have a larder, but the freezer works well. I don't know if any of this was gluten, but DAMN it was good! read more

See all

Great Breakfast good service.Dennis and his crew are great. Will continue to visit often

I don't know how they cook their chicken but it's great!! Yummy! The BEST!! Hubby always gets potatoes and cabbage with his breast meat. I got brown meat with Mac n cheese and a veggie! read more

Sweet restaurant- kind service with yummy feel-good food! The cabbage is like my granny is back in the kitchen- the fried chicken would make you smack your mama! read more

Excellent food and the price is good. We love eating there. Highly recommend! Yeah!

Is my favorite barbecue place in this area.. I go there all the time both for the food is food and the people that hang out there. Great place. read more

This was our second visit to Bum's. Last time we carried out, this time we had lunch there. It has been 2-1/2 years and memories can be faulty, but it appeared that the place has expanded. It is pretty roomy now. It just seemed bigger. Of course, I had to have barbecue and collards and added some fried chicken and pole beans. This was the wonderful down-home meal that I had looked forward to for over two years. We all liked the barbecue very much. It is smokier than most we get in Eastern NC. The chop is medium and the flavor is great. It included some crispy outside bits. I will say, there was a hint of bitterness that added up as I ate my generous portion. It is possible from a starved fire. I know that can cause bitterness in smoked meat. I remembered the collards as being very good. I did not quite like them as much this time. They are almost pureed like Indian saag, but that is not the issue. They simply had too much onion in them on this day. It distracted from the flavorful collards. The pole beans were simple, tender and not stringy. They needed a little salt and I like a splash of vinegar on them to perk them up. This is a nice change from beans dumped out of a can. My fried chicken was delicious straight-forward stuff. It had a nice, light coating and was well salted on the outside, though not brined. It was fresh and juicy and very enjoyable. Despite the onion in the collards and slight bitterness in the barbecue, I still rate Bum's as a place for five star down-home cooking. The people are wonderful as is the food. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would... unfortunately that's not an option! The heavier set woman at the window ( I wish I would have gotten her name and I'm not a small woman myself, so not meant to be rude here) was EXTREMELY RUDE and the way she talked to me for getting my order wrong herself was uncalled for ... I ordered one plate on one order and 2 plates on the other, she read it back to me and I agreed ... a different woman brought me my first plate and took my money but never gave me my change. I sat the first order beside me in the seat as that was my order and the woman that was at the window originally came back and brought me one plate, when I said it was 2 she sat it down beside her and got really ugly with me telling me that I didn't tell her that and I should have listened when she called my order back ... I told her she had it right when she read it back to me and she immediately snapped I will take that, I asked her what because I had one plate and they had my money... I told her I already paid for THAT Plate and was waiting on my change, she holds up my $1 as that was my change and with her attitude even uglier now than previously, says I have it right here and and slams it back down beside her... I tell her that the second order I am paying for it with a card. She then throws her arm quickly out to take my card still fussing at me about how I didn't tell her I asked for what I asked for... she comes back with the bag and 2 plates are in there this time she finally gives me my receipt to sign and then gives me my $1 change and slams the window closed ... My daughter was on the phone with me the entire time and when I drove away, she even said that was uncalled for and she was the one that told me what she wanted while I was at the window!!! (as the 2 plates were hers, my daughter's) ... when I get to my daughters house I give her her two plates and I sit down to eat mine ... well guess what??? The plate she told me that I didn't order, was in the first bag with the one plate!!!!! My plate ended up in my daughters bag!!!!!!! The chicken was really dry to be barbecue chicken and the sauce that should have been on my chicken was in my sides and muffin ... pretty gross... I have had several surgeries in the past year, so I have not been in awhile and I was really looking forward to enjoying the barbecue chicken that I once loved ... but if this is the new normal and I have to deal with rude employees, no thank you!!! I'm sure I will find another business to support because as of this very minute, I'm not planning on going back for a very long time again, if ever read more

We visited Bum's for breakfast and had a great experience. The plan was to get takeout from Bum's a bit later and compare Bum's vs. B's Barbecue in Greenville. Bum's pork was chopped but not a finely as some other places. It had a great smoke flavor, one of the surprises was the Brunswick Stew, it was outstanding. The Barbecue was excellent, Bum's sauce was a heavier vinegar sauce with a nice pepper kick. The sausage my son had for breakfast was super. Bum was in the restaurant and was very outgoing as we were obviously tourist. Bum's had ribs on the menu which were dipped in a sauce that was smokey and had a sweet bite. Bum threw in some cracklings after we made a huge purchase. The four of us have been hitting East Carolina Barbeque places over the past few years on our way to the OBX and this was one of our favorites. read more

See all

We've been coming to Bums since 1967 & believe me it's the best. There is nothing better than Bums food. My husband first brought me to visit NC, & Bums was one of them and we have been going there ever since. The collard greens are superior. My husband's mother fixed them as good as Bums in Ayden, NC. . Whenever we start to leave Indiana for the Greenville, Ayden, Winterville area, the first thing we start saying "can't wait to go to Bums dah dah" the barbecue, Lima beans, black eyed peas, ruedabak ers (sp) , cornbread, &various vegetables & lastly banana pudding!!! !! Over the years we've gone to different Southern restaurants, Parker's, Skylight Inn, etc.and none compare to Bums down home country cooking. I learnt how to cook collards from my mother-in-law, Cassie Haddock, the best cook in all of NC., who is no longer with us as many are in the family, including my husband, Graham. Bums has always been a landmark for all of us to return to on our visits there. This area has come to be my second home. If God willing, I have it on my list of favorites to visit after COVID. Linda H. read more

We live two miles from Bum's and EVERY TIME we eat there... we look across the table at each other and one of us ALWAYS say "you know, we COULD eat here EVERY day"... if you're looking for great, filling, home comfort food for a reasonable price in a great atmosphere with great people and service? This is the place! I'm talking REAL FOOD... so if you're thinking hamburgers, pizza, etc head on down to the other end of 3rd St. but if you're needing real food... it's at Bum's. Collards all year round, rutabagas, cabbage, string beans, mashed taters, cornbread, banana pudding... then the proteins.. THE BEST BARBECUE! (Not greasy).. fried chicken, boiled ham.. real food. If you need breakfast? You can get that! And they serve PEPSI PRODUCTS If you're having a day where you are feeling antisocial? You can get takeout at the drive through window. When family visits from out of town? We go to Bum's. It feels like home read more

This is my most favorite place in the US. I'm not kidding about this. My husband is in the Marine Corps and we have lived all over, but my Granny went to school with Bum and I grew up visiting my family in Ayden. Bums has been associated with every trip I have ever made to Ayden, and since getting stationed in NC we go as often as we can. Bums bbq is fantastic! It's not chewy or fatty. Never dry. I don't know why he isn't featured on the Food Network like other places have been, because quite honestly I think his bbq is superior. The collards and cornbread are my favorite, but all the foot is great. Order your banana pudding early or he'll run out. And don't forget to try the Brunswick stew or fried chicken. read more

Last minute decision to stop and it was one of my finest decisions of the day. I grew up in Pitt County and have never eaten here. The prices were phenomenal and the food was awesome. And the coffee was great! I had breakfast and my husband had bbq. And we got to meet the legend Mr. "Bum" Dennis himself! The customer service was outstanding! read more

BBQ and fried chicken is amazing, sweet corn and boiled potatoes too. Pan fried corn bread and stew were good... if that's your thing. Banana pudding was great but the sweet potatoes werent. read more

Great small town restaurant with a downtown country feel. The food was good and served in the typical meat and 2 format. The pulled pork and fried chicken were good. The collards were good as well. Their warm banana pudding is a great spin on a traditionally cold dish. read more

Bum's Restaurant - Warm banana pudding - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

Took the drive over from Durham, NC to Ayden to have lunch at Bum's today. I love heading over occasionally because in my opinion it's some of the best Southern food in the state, and the veggies are without compare. Normally I've gone for the fried chicken because it's some of the best you can find anywhere - wonderfully crispy and tasty skin with tender and juicy meat inside. A meat-n-two veggie plate will run you $5.84. However, today I noticed they do a combo. plate for about 75 cents more, so I got the combo pulled pork and white meat chicken with collards, green beans, an extra side of rutabagas, banana pudding for dessert, and sweet tea to wash it all down. The BBQ was fantastic - very tender with a subtle smoky flavor and a traditional eastern NC sauce. I have to say it's pretty much the best east-of-Raleigh traditional eastern NC 'que I've had. Although - I still prefer the style at Allen & Son in Chapel Hill, NC as my favorite BBQ in the state. The veggies go without saying - I have yet to find better in North Carolina. In fact, as testament to this, I took back home with me two quarts of collards, one quart of green beans, and one pint each of black-eyed peas and rutabagas. oh yes - my family is treating me like a god, and we have righteous stuff to feast on for days. The banana pudding was nice too - a very traditional rendition of it but perfectly executed. High ratio of vanilla wafer to pudding. So why not 5 stars? Well, it doesn't quite reach the pinnacle of country cooking whose throne is now shared by Wilkes House in Savannah, GA and Jones Kitchen in Jesup, GA but if you can't drive 400 miles from NC down there, this will do. read more

Bum's Restaurant - Fried chicken, collards, green beans, two renditions of cornbread, sweet tea - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

Yikes. On this years trip, the BBQ hits just keep coming. First Backyard was pretty good, then Allen & Son was great, and now Bum's is simply incredible. At least comparing the portions I had on the days I was there, this pork was more flavorful and smokier and maybe more tender than Allen & Son, pre-sauced with just the lightest amount of sauce. I was all ready to add more sauce, but I took my first bite and knew it would be a sacrilege. You shouldn't be allowed to mess with anything this good. I also sampled a few of the side items - black eyed peas were very simple - even more so than Backyard, but still quite good, and the Brunswick stew had lots of chicken, limas, and corn in a nice stewy tomato base. I haven't eaten much Brunswick stew, but this was a good start, not over-seasoned but not boring either. Boiled ham was...well, boiled ham. I tried it to try it, and while it was good, it's definitely not what I would tell you to get above everything else. My dad loves the collards, which are chopped very fine and remind me almost of Indian saag dishes, but without the cream. They're pretty good, but I'm not as much of a collards fiend as he is, so he can rave about those in his review update. read more

Ok I'm fairly new to NC but was told This was the place to try Eastern NC BBQ! They were right! It's a very humble shop. Honestly like stepping back into time. We had a wonderful lunch and will be regular customers! Hubby said the fried chicken was the Best he's ever had. read more

Bum's Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

See all

I came here for lunch because I wanted something good and based on the reviews I felt I would have a good chance at getting just that. I am going to review each thing I ate so you can get an idea. BBQ- this was the least favorite thing I ate. It was ok BBQ but not the best I have had. I am a native Eastern NC chick so I take BBQ serious. It was very obvious that it was wood smoked BBQ and that was good. It didn't have much of a vinegar taste to it, I added it at the table. But, the thing that got me was it had a lot of those chewy, slimy, fatty feeling pieces in it and it was a little dry. I can't stand those gross pieces in my mouth. Fried Chicken: delicious!! The skin was so crispy and so good. Collard Greens: the BEST thing on the plate. They were the perfect texture. The flavor and seasoning was perfect as well. A previous review said they were too salty. This was not my experience at all. Black eyed peas: they were good. I had to add salt but they were just regular black eyed peas. Nothing special or outstanding. Cornbread: ok but personally I prefer hush puppies only because of the dryness factor of corn bread. Banana pudding: it comes hot which makes the cookies and pudding so so yummy. My only complaint was that the bananas used were not quite ripe enough. Any avid banana pudding maker knows to only use bananas that are very ripe and spotting. Otherwise, the cooked bananas have a sour like taste and they turn purplish when cooked. If the bananas had been ripen the sweetness would have come out instead. Over all it was a good restaurant. I probably wouldn't come back only because there are many more review. I'm leaving now very stuffed. Too bad I need to go back to work and can't take a nap. read more

For the Newbie: You walk in and get in line to pick out your food at the counter, almost cafeteria style. You pay at the end of the line. CASH ONLY! Then go have a seat! Restaurant is a casual, no nonsense, "old mom & pop" style. The Chicken: My friend says that the best piece fried chicken he's ever had is from this restaurant. He may have even used the word "transcendent." Today, I ate here for the first time, and the fried chicken was very, very good. Loved the crunchy texture of the batter. And my friend said that it was a little off today. I'd love to come back when it's "on," The BBQ: First I have to say that I prefer Western NC bbq over the peppery Eastern style (which is what they serve at Bum's). But, here's my opinion anyway. Pretty good. Because of the pepper, I still couldn't taste the pork as much as I would have liked, but it wasn't offensive. Also, it wasn't moist, but you can't really fault that because he's serving it in a chafing dish, not right off the pig. The meat that was in clumps was a bit tough and dry, but the rest of it that was loose was tender and pretty good. I was sitting at a table with 8 other folks, and they love Eastern style, and they say it's the best. So there you are. In my future visits, I'll be getting the chicken plate instead of the bbq & chicken combo, just so that I can have more of that fabulous chicken. Oh, and the banana pudding is delicious! To me, it seems to be more of a combination of bread pudding and banana pudding, but either way, it's very good. Gotta get it. Unique. I'll be getting it every single time I go there. read more

Bum's Restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Ayden, North Carolina

See all

Can't get more E Carolina than this -- across from the police station and and next to "Guns Unlimited" in beautiful downtown Aden NC. You order at the counter, which is actually OK, since you then get the chance to check out all of the sides, which are well known to be exceptional. Bum's plates up a good, honest East Carolina whole hog BBQ. it's nicely seasoned and smoked with a good amount of charred bits. Most impressive was that it was not inundated with water or vinegar, as can be often the case for 'cue in this region, and the meat had a delicate smoky sweet flavor that maintained a nice texture. As advertised, the veggies did not disappoint. Black eyed peas were perfectly cooked, and not too light or too syrupy. The collards were sublime. Yes, they were chopped to the max, which often turns me off, but they were wonderfully cooked so that the greens maintained a toothiness and a slight bitterness that wasn't overly salted away. It was a perfect compliment to the pork. Even the sweet potato muffin was tasty!! I will come back some time to try the chicken. read more

Bums is your classic BBQ spot. If you get there too late in the evening they are sold out of most items and will not fix more. The fried chicken is so good. The sides are all really good. Can get corn sticks or corn bread. read more

Everytime I come back home from AZ, I try to make time to grab some great eastern nc bbq. Bum's is always a favorite stop. I appreciate the wonderful and authentic small town atmosphere so hard to find in many places. I enjoyed breakfast one morning and lunch on another. Like many great hole in the wall places, they will run out of food sometimes and when I went to breakfast at 10am, they were out of grits and biscuits. Lesson learned. Go earlier! I had the french toast and it was really delicious. They paired it with margarine and log cabin. Would love to see butter instead. I didn't ask; they may have had butter somewhere. For lunch, i had a combination plate of fried chicken and bbq with brunswick stew and collard greens. Best chicken i have ever had. Perfectly cooked. Moist and flavorful meat and crispy delicious outside. The collard greens are the best around particularly now that Jack Cobb is no longer in business. Oh and the banana pudding was top notch.. warm with a beautiful meringue. The service was really quick and friendly both times and again the overall atmosphere is a favorite. read more

LOVED Bum's. In fact, my wife would happily drop me at Skylight, and go to Bum's anytime nearby. While Skylight to me is purely about the meat, Bum's is about the sides, and the staff, and the atmosphere. LOVED the sides, especially the greens, but the desserts are great as well. While places like Wilbers and Skylight are always talked about, don't miss Bum's. read more

Back again to Bum's for another lunch. Everything is still great. The fried chicken was especially good. I had collards, mashed potatoes, & cornbread. Still friendly servers and food out quick. This is still one of my top five bbq restaurants in NC! read more

Being from Atlanta, I can't claim expertise in BBQ, but I'm enthusiastic about it, especially east carolina style pulled pork. I went with my aunt and cousin, both locals who recommend it. I just can't imagine better pulled pork BBQ. I love the crunchy little pieces of fat. The chopped collards were terrific. The warm banana pudding was excellent. The prices were incredible. The people were friendly. I plan to go to B's and compare, but I just can't imagine better BBQ. read more

Made another trip to the area a few days ago. My review stands. While the collard greens were good,and this time they were not salty, they really lacked any porky goodness that I have come to crave in a fine Collard green side dish. The fried chicken was still stellar as was the pork q (nice smokey flavor). Sadly they were sold out of Banana pudding so none this time. The people are nice, and it still will be on our list of great down home places to eat. read more

9/5/15 I stopped in on a Saturday at lunch - Heard many good things about this place Wood Fired Pit Cooked BBQ Their Bbq is Better than B's and Skylight IMO! Collards i thought were excellent, corn sticks, Make sure you try their house BBQ sauce! read more

A great place for collard lovers. They are as good as any you will find. The BBQ is average on a good day, and dry on a bad one. Excellent place for breakfast, but there are much better options for lunch in the area. read more

Good coarse chopped BBQ. High black pepper content but not bad. Good smokey flavor and good corn bread. Very friendly staff also. Will return read more

Excellent whole hog barbecue spot!!! The flavor of the final product is spot on! Large number of sides and other items on the menu will please even the toughest customer and picky family. I would have loved to have tried some of the other offerings such as the fried fish but I cant ever seem to steer away from a whole hog plate. Interesting note about this place is the varied of "cornbread" options. My fav was the sticks. Definitely a must stop place if you find yourself in Ayden. read more